Africa: Record Number of Attacks On Education, Global Fund Warns
[UN News] While September traditionally marks the start of the school year across the northern hemisphere, a staggering 93 million children are not in class at all amid an unprecedented number of attacks on learning, education experts warned on Wednesday.
As September signals the commencement of the school year in the northern hemisphere, a startling revelation emerges: 93 million children worldwide are currently deprived of education due to unprecedented attacks on learning facilities. According to Education Cannot Wait, a global initiative dedicated to education in crisis regions, an alarming 258 million children across 87 countries are facing severe disruption to their learning.
The organization's focus coincides with the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, highlighting the alarming trend of increasing conflict, decreasing restraint, and eroding global norms in several regions.
Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait, underscores the immediate and profound effects of denied schooling on children's futures. "When a child is denied schooling for years, the consequences are immediate and profound," she explains. "It means forgotten literacy, lost routines, and a future dictated by recruiters or traffickers, rather than teachers."
The gravity of the situation is further emphasized by a recent report, which reveals that attacks on education and the use of schools for armed conflict have reached a record high in 2024 and 2025. In the 28 countries studied, education was targeted in over 9,259 attacks, including more than 3,600 attacks on schools. This represents a more than 50% increase compared to the previous two years.
Moreover, more than 10,600 students and educators have been killed, injured, or abducted, while the military use of schools has nearly doubled.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
